Andrew e



(No Model.)

A. E. PROUDPIT.

CORSET.

Patented Sept n Pneus Hmmm-Pm wmangm m;

i i @UNITED STATES PATENT riurl;V

ANDREW n. PROUDFIT, on MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSICNOR To THE 1 M. K. BORTREE CORSET COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CORSET.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,058, dated September 8, 1885.

Application nica April e, 1884. (No man.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ANDREW E. PROUDFIT, of Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear,

land exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

. My invention relates to that class of corsets in which bones or other Stiffening devices are omitted in the portion of the sides of the corset near its lower margin and over the crown of the hip, so as to prevent annoyance to the wearer, which would otherwise arise from the pressure'of the bonesif present at this point, and the liability of breakage in the bones on l account of the abrupt bend which they necesj sarily take when extended over the hip to the lower margin of the corset.

The object of thisv invention is to provide, an improved construction in corsets of the' character above set forth. It embraces an improved construction in the strap for holding Ithe parts adjacent to the hip-space in place and in the arrangement of the bones in the corset adjacent to the said hip-space, and in other details ofconstruction in the corset; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, land pointed out in the claims.

` 1 In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is aside view of the corset constructedas pro- Alongitudinal central section of Fig. 5.

4posed by my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through. a part of one side of the corset, taken lupon line ma: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail View of the swivelconnection in the Strap shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinall central 'section of said swivel-connection and strap. Fig. 5 is a side View of another form of the swivelconnection for the strap. `Fig. 6 is a- As shown in the accompanying drawings, A represents the back piece, B and C the Side pieces, and D the front piece, composing Onehalf of the corset, Said pieces being stitched together in the usual manner. The back and front pieces maybe constructed in any desired for preferred manner, and contain no part of -thc' novel features of this invention. The side 'pieces B and C are formed of two or more thicknesses of cloth stitched together in the usual manner to form pockets for the bones or other stiiening-piecesA In the portion Ofsuch side pieces which covers the crown of the hip the bones and other stiffening are absent, and all but one thickness of the. cloth composing such side pieces are discontinued, `as more clearly shown in the sectional Fig. 2, so as to form a relatively thin and flexible section, E, covering the hip-bone or crown of the hip. vThe said flexible section is made of such width or fullness as to permit the lower portion or edge of the corset to expand to the greatest extent necessary for a given` waist-measure, and may tit closely over the hip when thus expanded upon a full Vligure. Over narrow hips the thin' hip-piece `may fold freely and closely, and by reason of its thinness it will in no material degree affect the iitof the outer garments at this point,while on the other hand it will suciently confine the under` garments.

Generally, however, a circumferential adjustment ofthe corset will be desired about its` y lower portion, and to provide means for such adjustment accurately to the form of the wearer, a strap, F, is secured .to the relatively thick portionsV of the sides of the corsets upon either side of the flexible sect-ion E, said strap being made variable in length by means of .a

buckle or otherwise, so that the size of the lower part of the corset may beA readily changed, in a manner heretofore Wellknown, to accurately and closely t the wearer. vThe Said iexible Section will obviously be wrinkled or folded beneath the strap when the adjacent parts of the Corset are drawn together thereby, but the material composingsaid section being thin, Such folds or wrinkleswill lie flat and will not inconvenience thewearer or materially add to the thickness of the part over the hip.

By the construction above described, it is Obvious that a corset possessing all the advantages of one having cut-away portions is obtained, while at the `same time, the corset presents the usual complete appearance, and upon the person of the wearer ts smoothly and closely about the hips. Although the -lexible Section E, as shown in the drawings, 'is formed of a continuation of one of the thicknesses of material composing the side pieces,

B anzl C,said section may obviously be formed of a separate piece of cloth or other thininelastic material stitched at its. edges to the adjacent parts of the corset. The construction herein shown, in which the said section is formed by a continuation of the outer covering or layer of the corset, is, however, preferred, for the reason that a uniform appearance is given to the exterior of the corset, and no overlapping edge `or scam is formed on the outside thereof.

In corsets having an eXpansible or adjustable hip-section as herein shown, Orrin those hereinbefore mentioned which are provided with a cut-away portion at the hip', it has been found that when a strap is usedfor connecting the parts of the corset adjacent to said opening or flexible section, such strap is liable in l the movements of the body-as, for instance,

when the wearer sits down or bends over-to wearer'.

vided in the strap herein shown a swivelcenter of the latter. The said swivel-joint may be constructed in any well-known or preferred manner, and operates to allow the said selves at an angle with each other when one edge of the strap is drawn more tightly than the other,and to thereby cause the strain upon the strap to distribute itself equally throughout the width thereof, so that the strap will under all circumstances lie flat against the hip.

By the construction described, it is obvious that when thelower front portion of the corset construction in means for adjusting the strap 'i is well known and forms no part ot' the matto which the front ends of the strap are attached is thrown forwardly or upwardly by the bending forward or sitting down of the wearer so as to draw the said strap tightly,` in Figs. 5 and 6, in which an ordinary or unaeross the hips, it will press equally in all its' parts, and will not, therefore, cause discomfort or annoyance from such pressure.

v`1, 3, and 4 of the accompanying drawings, the said joint G is formed by means of two plates, Gr and G2, connected in such manner as to give a relative rotary movement to the adjacent ends of the two parts F and F2 of the strap, to which they are respectively attached,

In the form of swivel-joint shown in Figs.

or stem being bent or curved so as to bring the button in a plane a short distance from and parallel with the said plate, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The said button is constructed to pass edgewise through the aperture gbetween the projection g' and the projections g2, when the plates are being connected and disconnected, and is adapted to fit in the recess G3 with its lower surface resting upon the said projections when the plates G and G2 are parallel with each other. The lugs g', which are adjacent to the stem g3 when the parts are placed together, are sufficiently separated to permit a considerable lateral movement of the shank-or stem, and to thereby allow the button to be rotated in the recess and the plates G and Gl to arrange themselves at a desired angle with reference to each other.

As shown in the said Figs. 1, 3, and 4, the

plate G is permanently attached to the porbe drawn or strained unequally, and to af greater extent at its lower than its upper edge, so as to cause the said lower edge to press uns pleasantly upon or cut into the flesh of the To obviate this objection to suchl straps as heretofore constructed, l. have protion Fl of the strap, and the plate G2 is secured to the part F2 of the strap by a construction in said part which will permit the length of the strap to be adjusted, whereby the use of a Vbuckle or other additional device in the strap for this purpose is rendered unnecessary.

1 For the purpose mentioned, the plate Gl is joint, G, arranged to connect the adjacent ends of the two separate parts of the strap near the provided with two parallel openings, g4 and g5, through which the end portion, f, of the part Fl of the strap is inserted in the manner shown, the said end portion being folded back l between the main portion of the strap and separate parts of the strap to adjust them the corset, so that the pressure of the strap and the exterior cross-piece of the plate operates to hold the said end portion of the strap from slipping through the plate. It is obvious that by this construction the strap will be held firmly at a desired length when upon the wearer, and may be readily adjusted by disconnecting the plates G and G2 and slipping the strap through the openings g* and g5. rlhis ters herein claimed.

Another form of the swivel-jointG is shown detachable pivotal connection is used to unite the plates G and G2, such connection, as shown, being made by overtapping the said plates and inserting a stud or pivot-pin, g", through coincident apertures therein. In this case one of the plates may be adjustably secured to one of the parts ofthe strap, as shown in Figs. l, 3, and 4, and before described, or both plates may be permanently attached to the parts of the strap,and an independent adjusting device used in the strap. In said Figs. 5 and 6 the construction last mentioned is illustrated, an ordinary buckle, f', being therein shown asused to adjust the length of the strap.

As an improved location or arrangement of 'the bones or other stiffening in corsets, in which bones or other stiffening are omitted over the crown of the hip, the corset herein illustrated is provided with a steel or bone, H, in the front side-piece, C, extending from IIC azos e'.

Y the front edge of the said side piece at the top -shape and wrinkle at this point. ltion with the bones H and H', arrangedin the of the corsetto the margin of the expansible hipsection at the lower edge thereof, and the rear side-piece, B, is provided with a similar steel or bone, H', extending from the rear edge of the said side piece at the top of the corset to the side of the said hip-section at the lower margin of the corset. By this location of the steels or bones H H' the lower marginal parts of the corset at the front and rear of the hip are held firmly in place, and close to the body at this point.

Instead of using a single bone or steel, H, as shown, several relatively narrow bones may obviously be placed side by side, and located in the side pieces, B and C, in the same manner and for the same purpose as the bones or steels H and H'. The arrangement of the bones H and H', described, is obviously applicable to the corsets hereinbefore mentioned, as having a cutaway portion at the hips, as well as to those having an expansiblehip-section, herein shown.

I am aware that in corsets with cut-away portions at the hip, as heretofore constructed, two sets of bones, starting from a point under the arm and diverging so as to pass at either side of said cut-away space, have been used for holding the parts of the corset adjacent to such space in position 5 but such arrangement, on account of the inclined position of the bones, is objectionable, for the reason that, when so located, ythey are liable to twist so as to throw the parts of the corset supported by them outof shape, this being especially liable to occur at times when the lower ends of the bones are bent outwardly. In the diverging arrangement of the bones above referred to,

also, a triangular space without bones has usually been left in the side pieces above the hip, so that the corset is liable to get out of In connecmanner before described, bones I I are here in shown as arranged practically parallel with said bones H and extending from the top -of the corset to the upper margin of the hip-space, so thatthe portion of the side of the corset above the hip is properly stiffened, and the desired smooth shape obtained therein. The lower portions of the said side pieces at the front and rear of the bones H and H' may be filled by any desired stiffening, that shown consisting of strips i i', arranged parallel with the said bones Hand H'.

Any other stiffening other than the bones or steels as herein mentioned may obviously be used with the same results as described; and the term bones, as used in the appended claims, is to be understood as meaning any kind of stif'ening that is capable of use with theA results set forth.

`I claim as my invention-` i 1. The combination, with a corset, of :.11 adj usting-strap for the lower part of the corset, provided with a swivel-joint, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a corset having a relatively thin and flexible hip-section, 'of an adjusting-strap secured to the body of the corset at either side of said iiexible section, and provided with a swivel-joint, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination,with the side pieces of a corset, in which bones are omitted over the crown of the hip, of converging bones H H', extending obliquely from the front and rear margins of the side pieces at the top thereof to the lower edges of said side pieces at either side of the hip, bones I I', arranged in the side pieces parallel with the bones H H', Vand terminating at their lower edges above the hip,and an adjusting-strap secured to the side pieces at either side of the hip, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afx my signature in presence of -two witnesses.

ANDREW E. PROUDFIT.

Witnesses:

A. B. MORRIS, I. N. SMITH. 

